Dr. Dan Smith, a psychologist at Oregon State Hospital and longtime SEIU 503 activist who is a member of the Board of Directors and co-chair of the DAS bargaining team, joined other member in the national “Take Back the Capitol” action in early December. This is his report:
The SEIU actions in Washington, D. C. between Dec 5 and Dec 9 gave me new energy and reminded very much of my own roots. To be able to participate in large and small events of active civil discourse among the symbols and the leaders in our nation’s capital was a combination of heady experiences. Sharing these experiences with my union brothers and sisters as well as members of We Are Oregon and the Occupy Portland movements made the experience all the richer.
Senator Jeff Merkley graciously met with the members of our delegation and talked with us about the economy, the lack of employment opportunity, and other concerns.
On Tuesday we went to the offices of Oregon Reps. Greg Walden, Kurt Schrader, Earl Blumenauer, and Peter DeFazio.
All of us together set out to confront Walden on his lack of support for workers, his refusal to work with the Democrats and his absence from his own district. Our presence forced him to return to his office and deal with our concerns.
The group split and then met with the other representatives whom we encouraged to continue their support for workers and the unemployed. All were congenial but none really committed to do more, although they seemed impressed by our presence. While we met with the Oregon delegates our sisters and brothers from around the U. S. held the same kind of meetings with their legislators. We were all proud to be in the halls of the federal government holding our elected representatives in the light of truth just as we do with the state legislators we have all become so familiar with in the last few years of lobby days.
Wednesday was the grand march. The 2,500 SEIU members, Occupy members and members of large umbrella groups like We Are Oregon marched to K Street from four different directions. We blocked the street for over an hour and area residents and tourists join in the action. The chanting, positive energy and interaction of all of these different groups were most impressive. Some members chose to be arrested, while most agreed that this was a non-arrest action. Many of those arrested were from Occupy movements whose goal is often to provoke arrest in acts of active civil disobedience.
While the majority of us were on the march a select group took part in a separate action to disrupt and confront Representative Eric Cantor, a conservative roadblock in the House at a fund raiser. A crew from the CBS show “60 Minutes” taped them.
The same group, aided by several vans of eager marchers, staged a similar action at the hotel where Newt Gingrich was holding a fund raising dinner. Those of us who participated confronted those in attendance outside while a few members made their way inside and told their stories and shared their concerns with members of the 1% and others in attendance. What an emotional moment it was when Fox News pundit Bill O’Reilly left the dinner rather than face his own hypocrisy.
On Thursday, I joined in two actions designed to disrupt Missouri Senator Roy Blunt at a breakfast fundraiser and did the same in the afternoon at a fundraiser for Senator Lindsay Graham of South Carolina. He engaged with us, but we held the day. While this was happening the majority of our brothers and sisters went back to the Capitol to confront the Speaker of the House
John Boehner, where many went to his office while the majority marched around the Capitol.
Thursday evening many stayed at the encampment on the Capitol Mall while several busloads went to the national headquarters of the Chamber of Commerce where we confronted the many members of the 1% and others who were in attendance at the John Boehner’s Chamber Holiday Party.
We came together from all across the US. I had opportunity to meet
members from Chicago, Philadelphia, DC, Hawaii, New Jersey, Houston, Baltimore, Idaho, and other parts of the US. I spoke with members of our international union leadership team, and joined with members of the Occupy movement in all of these actions and events. So much was happening and so many thoughts, emotions, and responses were evoked that I have not yet had opportunity to process all of them.
Others who went have their own stories and reactions to share. Talk with them, read their e-mails and share them. If we are going to make things better we must take action at home as well as in Washington, D. C., we must raise our voices and demand fairness for all Oregonians, just as we joined together to demand fairness for Americans.